• U of A
• Fulbright College
• Programs
• Comparative Literature & Cultural Studies
• About the Program
• Admissions

Admissions

The Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies program is attuned to the well-known challenges of the job market for candidates completing advanced degrees in the humanities. Our focus on an inter-disciplinary experience maximizes the potential for prospective students entering emerging fields or joining established disciplines. 

As an international community of students and scholars, our program is fertile ground for innovative and critical approaches to the literatures and cultures of the world. We build effectively on prior training and coursework that prospect students have already immersed themselves with to provide multiple career options in secondary and post secondary education, international and non-profit sectors, as well as other fields in a global context favoring multilingual professionals.  We have a very flexible interdisciplinary program where students can design their own study plan, with the support of committed faculty from different departments and our students know that there is always the possibility for an adjustment of degree plans and time-to-degree expectations to accommodate a wide range of learning goals, student profiles, and professional objectives.

Application Deadline: January 15

All applicants to the Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies must be admitted first to the University of Arkansas Graduate School. The Graduate School sets the minimum admission requirements for all graduate students at the University of Arkansas, such as having a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a grade point average of 3.0 (on a scale of 4) or above in the last 60 hours of coursework. Visit the Graduate School website for information on admissions and preparing for graduate school.  

Candidates meeting all graduate school requirements are then evaluated by the Comparative Literature & Cultural Studies Admissions committee.  We normally only admit students in the fall semester. 

 

International Students

Applicants whose native language is not English must present satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, our institution code is 6866) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The University defines a minimum satisfactory score on TOEFL as 79 on the IBT (Internet Based TOEFL), or 6.5 on the IELTS for admission and the test must have been taken within two years immediately preceding the requested semester of admission and be valid at the time of enrollment. No other measures of English proficiency are accepted by the University of Arkansas for the purpose of gaining admission. Visit the Graduate School English Proficiency Requirements for Admission and Assistantships. 

 

Application Materials Required 

Complete official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work. The following application materials must be submitted in support of any application to the Program in Com­parative Literature and Cultural Studies, at either the M.A. or Ph.D. level. Upon applying to the graduate school, and paying the application fee,  candidates will receive an email with a link to the UAconnect portal where the following documents must be uploaded:

1. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores on the Aptitude Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing). Note: Since the pandemic the GRE requirement has been temporarily waived. However, the GRE is still required to qualify for university fellowships for doctoral students. 
2. International students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Lan­guage Testing System (IELTS) exams, meeting the minimum score required by the Graduate School.
3. Statement of purpose describing academic interests and profes­sional goals. Doctoral applicants must specify which concentration they wish to pursue: comparative literature, modern languages, cultural studies, Hispanic studies, or translation. It is recommended also that doctoral applicants identify and establish contact with University of Arkansas faculty in their areas of interest before applying to the program.  Prospective students may write the Program director to assist identifying faculty in their areas of research interest.  
4. A writing sample, preferably from an essay or examination paper from a literature course, showing evidence of critical thinking, writing ability, and research potential.
5. Three letters of recommendation from former instructors, employers, or supervisors
6. Application for Graduate Assistantship (if applicable). Assistantships are merit-based financial assistance that pays for tuition and a monthly stipend.  There are limited assistantship options through various departments and programs.